NEW DELHI, Apr 24: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) received a significant numerical push in the Rajya Sabha on Friday following the defection of seven Members of Parliament from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Despite this development, the alliance remains 18 seats short of securing the critical two thirds majority required to pass constitutional amendments in the Upper House.
With the latest shift in allegiance, the NDA’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 145 members. However, in a House with an effective strength of 244, the two-thirds benchmark currently stands at 163 keeping the ruling bloc short of a decisive legislative advantage.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the principal party within the NDA, is also yet to achieve a simple majority on its own in the Upper House. Following the anticipated approval of the merger of the AAP Parliamentary Party into the BJP by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, the BJP’s tally is expected to increase from 106 to 113 members.
Additionally, the party is likely to garner the support of seven nominated members and two independents, potentially bringing its effective backing to 122 just enough to touch the halfway mark in the chamber.
Sources indicate that the merger is expected to be cleared smoothly, as the seven MPs constitute more than the required two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha representation, fulfilling constitutional provisions governing party mergers.
Despite these gains, the NDA continues to face hurdles in pushing through key legislative measures that require constitutional amendments. The alliance also lacks a two thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, where it holds a simple majority but falls short of the 363 members needed to meet the higher threshold.
This limitation was evident earlier this month when the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill proposing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029 and an increase in Lok Sabha seats to 816 failed to pass in the Lok Sabha on April 17. The defeat marked a rare setback for the NDA government, highlighting the challenges posed by insufficient numbers in critical votes.
Meanwhile, AAP leader Raghav Chadha confirmed the development, stating that more than two-thirds of the party’s Rajya Sabha MPs had exercised constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP. He added that the required documentation had been formally submitted to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
While the NDA’s position in the Upper House has improved, the evolving numbers underline the continued importance of coalition dynamics and cross-party support in shaping the legislative agenda.